Agam 05 Ang 05 Study Of Bhagvati Vyakhya Prajnapti Sutra

Author(s): Suzuko Ohira
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

Page 285

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aloka as explained in the Tattvārthasutra X.6, bhașya. The problem of dharmaadharma surfaces here for the first time with respect to a liberated soul.
Jacobi early proposed in his "Studies in Jainism" that dharma-adharma of the Jainas must have been originated in rajas-tamas of the Sankhyas.' However, since dharma-adharma originally mean good-bad deeds in the context of the rules of Jaina monks' ethical practice as shown in the Bhagavatisutra XX.2.663, these come in conflict with the concepts of rajas-tamas. Also the Sankhya prakrti consisting of trigunas is equivalent to pudgala of the Jainas, whereas dharma-adharma are the cosmic principles that have no relevancy to the concept of pudgala. It is thus difficult to accept his view.
Then, Frauwallner hinted that dharma-adharma of the Jainas must have evolved under the influence of adrsta of the Vaiseşikas. At some stage, the Vaiseşikas introduced into their system the doctrine of adrst a or the invisible cosmic force, which works favourably or unfavourably to human beings according to the contents of their meritorious actions (dharma) and demeritorious actions (adharma). All the world phenomena occuring in the three tenses of time, of which mokşa stands as its final end in view, are deemed to be brought about by this adrst a. The Jainas explain that jivas' meritorious and demeritorious deeds invite karmic particles to flow in, and their fruits cause the phenomena of transmigration. This karma theory, however, cannot explain, according to Frauwallner, the phenomena occurring in the world. The Jainas, therefore, introduced the doctrine of adrsta that had become popular among the other systems of thought, and tried to explain the world phenomena by establishing the principles of dharma and adharma. Merit or dharma causes a driving movement, and demerit or adharma hinders a movement and brings it to rest. But sooner or later their ethical meanings came to be lost, and became pure natural forces of motion and rest, but their names still remind us of their origin."
Considering the texts that we have consulted above, Frauwallner's point of argument is very suggestive. Therefore, accepting Frauwallner's suggestion, and upon the basis of the materials introduced above, we would like to examine why and how the two principles of dharma-adharma came to be established in the Jaina School.
This doctrine of adrst a enabled the Vaiseșikas to explain away any causes occurring in the natural phenomena that are inexplainable by known experience. For instance, according to the Vai'seşikasutra," the cause of the movement of a needle incurred by a magnet (V.1.15), the cause of water circulation in plants (V.2.8), the cause of upward motion of fire, the cause of sideways motion of air, the cause of motion of atoms when they come in contact, and the cause of initial movement of the mind (V.2.14) are said to be due to adrsta. Then, the departure of one's life and mind from his old body and their entry into his new body, the conjunction of food and drink in the womb and the conjunction of other products (V.2.19) are said to be caused by adrsta. One's virtuous deeds (dharma) or evil deeds (adharma) bring
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